Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-12-22

purpllsh REQ.
This method of restriction was the re.
suit OF long thought and study on her
part. She tried many others, which had
! proved Intellectual. Willy, the eldest
| colld master knots like a sailor. Many
time the grandmother had returned TO
find the house empty. Willy had unfas-
tened his own knot and liberated his lit.
tie sisters, and then all three had made
the most of their freedom. But even
/ Willy, with his sharp five-year old brain
and his nimble little fingers, could not
unite knot whose two ends brushed the
ceiling. Now, Marg'ret was sure to find
them all where she left them
After the children were set at liberty
she got their supper, arranging it neatly
on the table between the windows. There
was q nice white table cover, and the six
silver teaspoons shone. The teaspoons
were the mark of flood tide of Marg ret 5
aspirations, au9 she had had aspirations
/ al her life. She had { iven them to her
/ daughter, the child's mother on her mar
riage. She herself had never owned a
bit of silver, but she determined to pre-
/ sent her daughter with some.
I'm goin' to hev you hey things like
other folks" she nad said.
/ Now the daughter was dead, and she
had the spoons. She regarded the daily
use of them as an almost sinful luxury,
| but she brought thGm out in their heavy
| glass tumbler every meal.
"I'm goin' to hev them children learn
TO eat off silver spoons" she said, def
antly, to their father; they'll think more of
themselves"
The father, Joseph Snow, was trying to
earn living in the city, hundred miles
distant. He was himself very young,
and had not hitherto displayed much
business capacity, although he was good
and willing. They had been very poor
before his wife died; ever since he had
/ not been able to do much more than feed
/ and clothe himself. He had sent few
dollars to Marg'ret from time TO time -
dollars which he had saved and scrimped
| pitifully to accumulate--bu the burden
of their support had come upon her,
| She had sewed carpets and assisted in
/ spring cleanings - everything TO which
4 she could turn a hand. Marg'ret was .
tsiloress, but she could now get no EN-
| ployment at her trade. The boys all
wore "store clothes" in these days She
]
/ still she managed to keep the children IN
| comfort. with roof over their heads and
! something TO eat. Their cheeks were fat
and pink; they were noisy and happy
| and also pretty.
After the children were in bed that
night she stood in her kitchen window and
gazed across Mt Mrs. Luther Ely's house
She had left the candle in the children's
room-the little things were afraid with
out it-and she had not yet lighted one
for herself; so she could see out quite
plainly, although the night was dark
There was light in the parl0r of the
opposite house, the Nottingham lace cur.
taias showed finely their pattern of leaves
and flowers. Marg'ret eyed them, "Tain''
no use my tryin' to git up a NOTCH" she
muttered. "Tain't no use for some
folks. They amt worked no harder thar
I have; LoEIsa Ely 'aint never begun tC
work so hard; but they kin have lace cur
tains an Christmas trees"
The words sounded envious. Still she
was hardly that subsequent events proved
it. Her "tryin' to git up notch" ex
planned everything. Mrs. Luther Ely
the lace curtains, and the Christians tree
we're as three stars set on that higher
''notch" which she wished to gain. II the
other woman had dressed in silk instea(
of rusty wool, If the lace draperies ha-
been real, Marg'ret would hardly have
wasted one wistful glance on them. Blu
Mrs. Luther Ely had been all her life thu
one notch higher, which had seemed al
most attainable. In that opposite hous,
there was only one carpet; Marg're
might have hoped for one carpet. Mrs
Ely's son-in-law earned only comfort
able living for his family; Marg'ret
might have done that. Worst of all eact
woman had one daughter, and Marg'ret'
had died.
Marg'ret had been ambitions all he
life. She had made struggle after strug
gle. The tailoress trade was one of them
She made up her mind that she woulC
have things like other people. Then sh
married and her husband spent he
money. One failure came after another
She slipped back again and again on tn
step to that higher notch. And here sh
was tonight, old and poor, with thes
three helpless children dependent upol
her.
But she felt something besides disap
pointed ambition as she stood gazing
out to night.
"Thar's the children" she went on
cant have nothin Cor Christmas.
ain't got cent l kin spare. If 81
'em enough TO eat, I'm lucky"
Presently she turned away and lighte'
a lamp. She had some sewing to do 70
the children, and was Just sitting dow
with it, when she paused suddehly an
stood rejecting.
'I've got good mind to go down t.
Whites an see what he's got il 70
Christmas" said she. "Mebbe Joseph =
send some money long next week, an i
he does, mebbe l kin git 'em some littl
thing. Il would be a good plan for IN
TO kind of price EN-"
Marg'ret laid her work down, got he
hood and shawl, and went out, fastenin
the house securely. and also the door o
the room where the stove Was.
To her eyes the village store which sh
presently entered was very emporium
Of beauty and richness. She stared q
the festoons OF eveIgreens, the daugIin
trumpets and drums, the counters heape
with cheap toys, With ave and LONGING
She asked respectfully the price Of thi
and that. some things less pretentior